Syracuse, NY -- Brandon Triche has not revisited his performance from Jan. 19, the day his Syracuse team defeated Louisville 70-68.

The senior guard was terrific in that win. He shot 9-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-7 from 3-point range, prompting Louisville coach Rick Pitino to declare him the most underrated college player in America. The Cardinals visit Syracuse in the Carrier Dome Saturday for a noon game televised by CBS.

But since the first meeting between the schools, Triche has mostly struggled to shoot the 3-ball. He’s converting 28 percent of his 3-point attempts in Big East play.

He does not need a nostalgic reminder of that fabulous shooting performance at
Louisville, he said, to ascertain why his shooting stroke was so effective.

“I’m pretty technical as far as why I’m shooting the ball bad,” he said. “Sometimes you can’t fix it as you’re shooting it. A lot of times, it’s about me not being balanced. And if I’m not balanced, then the ball’s gonna go all over the place.

“I can accept missing front rim or back rim because sometimes I release the ball on the way down or I don’t get enough legs. But if it’s the to left or right, that’s when something is really wrong. And a lot of times, it’s my balance.”

He has made a point these past few days to meet his older brothers Melvin and Mike somewhere close to 9:30 p.m. in the Melo Center. His brothers rebound and observe. Repetition, said Triche, keys his shooting success.

“A lot of it,” he said, “is just form.”

Those sessions used to happen more regularly. But a muscle spasm in his back woke Triche the night before the Pittsburgh game. He initially shrugged it off, but when he attempted a lay-up during that contest, he felt a familiar twinge.

He’s taken ibuprofen and sought treatments to help loosen his back since. But fear of further aggravation caused him to back off the nightly shooting sessions with his brothers.

“I didn’t want to do extra stuff. But it’s kinda make or break now,” he said. “I got in here twice this week. Before practice, I’m getting up 200 shots or so.”

He said his back feels better these days. He was asked whether he believed it contributed to his shooting troubles this season.